Can't be beet.

WHEN celebrated French chef Stephane Gaborieau popped up at the Tokyo Hilton this spring, we were treated to an evening of stellar surprises.

Gaborieau's five-day guest appearance at Twenty One, the hotel's elegant French-Pacific restaurant, marked the chef's second visit to Japan. But memories of his first encounter provided the inspiration for his very latest culinary creations. "I used the beet in tempura two years ago, and I loved it," the chef explained. "I'm drawn to its mix of sweet and sour."

While Gaborieau's novel approach to tempura wasn't on the menu, nearly every course contained a similarly startling innovation. The moelleux of anchovies collapsed softly beneath our forks to reveal a colorful entanglement of peppers, whose mellow juices helped neutralize the saltier fish; the warmth of a tender scallop perched atop dried apricots was enhanced by fig juice. And the beet made its heroic appearance in a dessert: Beetroot Cristalline. Paired with a stately glass of Sauternes Baron Phillipe, the beet's presence produced a satisfying tang on our tongues--though we still want to try that tempura.

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